Flatwork ironing machine



Feb- 5, 1952 A. E. LEISENRING FLATWORK IRONING MACHINE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Oct. 20, 1949 "Q: INVENTOR. A@ 77m@ bnf/N fu/new@ Patented Feb. 5, 1952 UNITED STATES AT Nr oFFicE This inventionv relates tor a flatwork' ironing machine, and has for its principal object the provision of a simple, economical, `power-operated ironing machine which will occupy but'aV minimum vof oor space, and which will operate to iron the goods on both sides at one passage through the machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide an ironing machine in which the irons or heated surfaces will remain xed and stationary at all times, and in which press rolls are provided for pressing the goods against the irons which may move away from the heated surfaces for releasV ing the goods. Such. a construction enables more economical and secure connections to be made to the heating elements; whether electrical, lgas or steam, since there is no movement of;v these elements.

A still further object is to provide a simple and highly efficient mounting for two press rolls whereby both rolls will simultaneously move-away from theirY respective irons when desired', or in case of accident.

Other objects and advantages reside `in the detail construction of the invention, which isdesigned for simplicity, economy, and eiciencyf. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the 4invention, reference is had` to the accompanyingv drawing which forms a part hereof.' Like numorals refer to-like parts'in all views of the draw ing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a front view of the improved atwork ironing machine j Fig. 2 is an end view 'thereof in the operatin'go l ironing position;

Fig. 3 is a similar' end view in non-ironing position;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, vertical cross-section,

taken on the line 4 4, Fig. 1, illustrating the pressrolls in the ironing position; and

Fig. `5 is .a similar fragmentary cross-section` illustrating the press rolls in the released position.

The improved natworkironing machine is sup-- ported upon a supporting frame consisting of four angle leg members lil. The leg members of each pair at each extremity are secured together` the released-orf The work tray is cured at its extremities to theend legs to provide rigid cross-bracing for the entire frame work.

An upper heated iron I6 and a lower heated' iron Il extend between the end plates Il. irons are secured at their extremities to the end plates byY means of suitable cap screws Yi3 or in any other desired manner so as to provide a rigid assembly for the supporting frame and the irons. Each of the irons-is formed with a longitudinally extending, arcuate concavity I9v which forms the ironing surface or face of the iron.

The upper iron Se extends longitudinally of the upper portion of the ironer and is positioned rearwardly of the lmgitudinalV center line of the latter, with its concavity I9 facing forwardly. The iron il is positioned ata lower level: than the iron l@ and forwardly of the longitudinal center line, with its concavity I9 facing rearwardly, as shown in Fig. 4. The irons i5 and l'l'may be heated in anyr suitable way. As illustrated, they arek designed as hollow steam-chests.

A rocking bearing plate 2G is mounted on a pivot stud 2i extending outwardly from each end plate H. The pivot studs are in alignment with each other andthe bearing plates 2li are free' -to rotate about the axis of the studs 2i. Each of the 'bearing plates 201s notched inwardly from' its forwardeedge adjacent its upper extremity to provide an upper bearing-way 22 for slidably receiving an upper shaft bearing 23, and eachwis notched inwardlyadjacent its lower extremity to provide alower bearing-way 2li 'for slidably receving a lower shaft bearing 25.

The bearings 23 and 25 are constantly urged inwardlyin the bearing'ways by means of compression springs 26 acting' against spring-adjusting screws 2'. The screws 21 are threaded through cross-pieces 28 .which close the outer extremities l ci the bearing-ways 22land 2t.

` An upper roller shaft 29 extends between the bearings 23, 'and a lower roller shaft 30`extend`s' between the bearings 25. are positioned equidistant above and below the axis ofthe studs 2i. The upper shaft 2Q carries a conventional. ironing machine press roll 3i, and the lowershaft 38 carries a similar press roll 32'.

The relation between the irons I6 and Il and the` press rolls 3| and s2 is such that the rolls will rest concentrically in vthe cencavities 'Hi of vthe irons when the rolls are vertically alignedl with eachother. 7

Thetwo rocking bearing plates 2G at the opposite extremities of the machine areadjustedand maintained in alignment with each other by means of an aligning shaft V33. A lever 35 is The The shafts' 2&1 and YStili secured to each extremity of the aligning shaft 33. These levers project rearwardly and a turnbuckle link extends upwardly from each of the levers to one of the plates 20 so that the `two plates may be brought into accurate alignment with each other and will thereafter maintain this alignment.

The roll shafts 29 and 30 are caused to rotate in unison and in opposite directions by means of a counter-chain 36. The counter-chain 36 extends around a driven sprocket 31 on the shaft 29 and around an idler sprocket 38 mounted on a stub shaft 39 projecting from the right-hand bearing plate 20. The outside of the chain 36 meshes with a driven sprocket 40 on the lower roller shaft 30, thence meshes with a drive sprocket of a double sprocket 4| rotatably mounted on the stud 2|.

The double sprocket 4| consists of two chain sprockets .bolted together by means of suitable bolts 42. The inner one of the double sprockets receives the chain 36, the outer one of the double sprockets 4I receives a drive chain 43 extending from a suitable speed reducer 44 to which a drive motor 45 is connected through the medium of a V-belt transmission 46. It can be seen that the sprockets 4|, 31, and 38 will rotate clockwise in Figs. 2 and 3, and the sprocket 48 will rotate in a counter-clockwise direction. Y

The aligning levers 34 are connected by means of connecting links 41 with a treadle frame 48 extending entirely across the lower portion of the machine and projecting forwardly therefrom to receive the foot of the operator. The rear edge of the treadle frame 48 is mounted on a treadle shaft 49 extending between the rear legs I9. The forward extremity of the treadle frame is constantly urged upwardly by means of tension springs 50 so as to tend to turn the bearing plates 20 to the position of Fig. 3, and the rollers to the position of Fig. 5.

Pressure of the foot on the frame 48 will swing the plates 20 to the position of Fig. 2 and the rollers to the position of Fig. 4. The treadle frame may be locked with the rollers in engagement with the irons by means of a toothed ratchet bar 5| hinged to one of the front legs Il) upon a suitable hinge bolt 52. The teeth of the ratchet bar 5! engage a latch plate 53 on the treadle frame 48. The lower extremity of the ratchet bar 5| is constantly urged rearwardly to engage the teeth with the plate 53 by means of a connecting link 54 connecting with a bell crank lever 55 mountedon a hinge bolt 56 adjacent the rearward extremity of the treadle frame 48. The lower extremity of the bell crank lever 55 is pulled rearwardly by means of a tension spring 51 to hold the teeth of the ratchet bars in engagement.

A swinging safety plate 58 is suspended across the top of the machine above the roller 3| upon a cross bar 59 which is swingingly supported in brackets 68 extending upwardly from the end plates Il. A lever 6| extends rearwardly from the safety plate 58 and is connected by means of a connecting rod 62 to the upper extremity of the bell crank lever 55. A spring 63 swings the plate 58 forwardly.

It can be seen that if the plate 58 is pushed rearwardly, it will act through the lever 6|, the

rod 62, the bell crank lever 55, and the link 54 to release the ratchet bar 5| from the plate 53, allowing the springs 50 to pull the treadle frame 48 upwardly to the position of Fig. 3, thereby releasing the rollers from the irons, as shown in Fig. 5.

The edge of the goods to be ironed is spread along the upper roller 3| and is carried rearwardly by the rotation of the upper roller into frictional engagement with the concave surface of the upper iron I6 to iron the top side of the goods. After passing the upper iron, the edge will depend and enter between the lower roller 32 and the lower iron |1, and the bottom side will be ironed by frictional engagement with the lower iron l1. Thus, the work is ironed on both sides at one passage through the machine.

From the lower iron, the goods drops onto the work tray I4 within easy reach of the operator. Should a pile of the material tend to enter between the upper iron and roll, or should the operators hands accidentally or intentionally reach this point, the safety plate 58 will be forced rearwardly instantly releasing the rolls to the open position of Fig. 5.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, itis to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent l. A flatwork ironing machine comprising: a supporting frame; fixed end plates carried by said supporting frame; heated ironing members secured at their extremities to said end plates and extending therebetween in parallel, spaced-apart relation; a concave ironing surface on each ironing member; a bearing plate pivotally supported from each end plate; a pair of rollers journalled at their extremities, in said bearing plates, each roller extendingv parallel to and along one of said ironing surfaces; an aligning shaft supported in said frame; a lever secured to and projecting from said shaft adjacent each bearing plate; connecting means between said levers and their respective bearing platesv to cause the latter to rotate in unison about their pivots to swing said rollers into and out of said concave ironing surfaces; means for varying the length of said connecting means for the purpose of aligning said rollers with said ironing surfaces; and manual means for actuating said levers to swing said bearing plates to bring said rollers into contact with said ironing surfaces.

2. A atwork ironing machine comprising: a supporting frame; fixed end plates carried by said supporting frame; heated ironing members secured at their extremities to said end plates and extending therebetween in parallel, spacedapart relation; a concave ironing surface on each ironngmember; a bearing plate pivotally supported from each end plate; a pair of rollers journalled at their extremities, in said bearingvplates, each roller extending parallel to and along one of said ironing surfaces; an aligning shaft supported in said frame; a lever secured to and projecting from said shaft adjacent each bearing plate; connecting means between said levers and their respective bearing plates to cause the latter to rotate in unison about their pivots to swing said rollers into and out of said concave ironing surfaces; means for varying the length of said connecting means for the purpose of aligning said rollers with said ironing surfaces; manual means operatively engaged with said levers for actuating same to swing said bearing plates to bring said rollers into contact with said ironing surfaces; spring means between one of said end plates and said manual means for urging said rollers away from said surfaces; and latch extending therebetween in parallel, spaced-apart relation; a concave ironing surface on each ironing member; a bearing plate pivotally supported from each end plate; a pair of rollers journalled at their extremities, in said bearing plates, each roller extending parallel to and along one of said ironing surfaces; means for causing said bearing plates to rotate in unison about their piv- 'ots to swing said rollers intoand out of their vconcave ironing surfaces; a driven sprocket on each roller adjacent one of said bearing plates; an idler sprocket mounted on said latter bearing plate; an endless chain trained around one of said driven sprockets and around said idler sprocket, the outside of said chain engaging the other driven sprocket so as to cause said rollers to rotate in unison in opposite directions; and means for driving said chain.

4. In an ironing machine of the type having a supporting frame, two parallel press rollers extending between bearing plates pivotally mounted in said frame which when swung on their pivots cause the rollers to simultaneously swung against oppositely positioned heated irons supported by said supporting frame, means for swinging said bearing plates comprising: an aligning shaft extending parallel to said rollers; a, lever projecting from said shaft in the plane of each bearing plate; an adjustable-length link connecting each lever with one of said bearing plates to' communicate the movements of said shaft to said bearing plates; spring means urging said 8 said irons; a foot-operated treadle frame; and connecting links connecting said treadle frame with said levers for manually rotating said shaft to swing said rollers toward said irons.

5. Means for swinging roller-carrying bearing i plates in an ironing machine as described in claim 4 having a toothed ratchet bar swingingly mounted on said supporting frame to engage said treadle frame to hold the latter against the action of said spring means; and manually operated releasing means vconnected with said ratchet bar for swinging the latter out of engagement with said treadle frame.

6. A device of the type described in claim 5 having a safety plate mounted on and swingingly suspended from said supporting frame over one vof said rollers; and a pull rod connecting said safety plate with the manually operated releasing means so that when. said safety plate is contacted, it will act to release said releasing means to allow said spring means to withdraw said rollers from said irons.

ARTHUR EDWIN LEISENRING.

REFERENQES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 514,049 Wendell Feb. 6, 1894 554,584 Dolph et al Feb. 11, 1896 593,566 V Craw Nov. 16, 1897 1,936,027 Pointon Nov. 21, 1933 2,252,471 Pointon Apr. 12, 1941 2,368,652 Forse Feb. 6, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 5,591 Great Britain Jan. 10. 1899 

